Kundera's friend, Milan Hübl, tells him that the easiest way to get rid of an entire nation is to destroy its memory—its literature, culture, and history. When shared memories are erased, the void can be filled with a newly doctored version of history, and that's why, as Kundera says, those who own the past are the people with the real power.
Losing the past is a real mixed bag in The Book of Laughter and Forgetting. For some, like Tamina and Mirek, the past carries almost unbearable weight. Dropping that kind of baggage is a relief—until it's not. The problem with forgetting the past is that, as Hübl says and Tamina finds out, it kills off a crucial part of your personal identity. Forgetting the past is the first step toward annihilation.
Questions About Memory and the Past
- How does Kundera relate the action of laughter to that of forgetting? Why are neither of these actions desirable, from his point of view?
- In what ways does the inability to remember affect the characters in this work?
- What value does Kundera give to memory and the past? Why is an accurate or truthful assessment of history (personal or public) so crucial?
- What happens to Tamina's obsession with her past life in Prague when she's been on the island for a while? Why do you think this happens to her?
Chew on This
Memory is a necessary evil for any healthy society or person.
The past is more valuable than the present or the future.